Church establishes independent Education Commission

Church establishes independent Education Commission

Revd Dr John Barrett appointed as Chair

The Methodist Church is establishing an independent education commission, responsible for reviewing Methodism’s approach to education in Britain.

The Commission will be responsible for identifying a set of principles and a theological rationale, which underpins Methodism’s engagement with education. It will include all forms of formal education, including the Church’s responsibility for 64 state-maintained Methodist day schools and 14 independent schools across England and Wales, as well as its involvement in further education and higher education. It will also consider the Methodist approach to and involvement with informal education, including links to the Church's work with children and youth, and all forms of chaplaincy in education.

Revd Dr John Barrett has been appointed as Chair of the Commission. “Education is central to the development of both children and adults, and Methodism has always been passionate about accessible, high quality education provision,” he said. “It is important to review our approach to education and assess whether our commitment of our resources is appropriate for the responsibilities we have and to determine what our priorities should be for the future.”

John is a Methodist minister, and has extensive experience in education, having taught in a Methodist college, a theological college and having worked in schools in the UK. He recently stepped down after five years as the first Principal of the Anglo-Chinese International School in Singapore. Additionally, John is also Chair of the World Methodist Council Executive Committee, and was the first chairperson of the World Methodist Council’s Education Committee.

John would like to hear from anyone who would like to be considered for membership of the Commission or who feels they have a contribution to make to its work. Those interested are invited to register their interest by contacting the Methodist Church through the Projects, Research and Development Cluster by email: projects@methodistchurch.org.uk

The Commission will report to the Methodist Conference in 2012.

Source: Methodist News Service 25/01/2010

Christmas Greetings from Caversham

Christmas greetings from Caversham. I hope that you and your family are well, have had a good Christmas, and that you will enjoy the rest of Christmas and then be looking forward to the New Year 2010. What a year 2009 has been, with such dreadful flooding and other natural disasters, as well as the unbearable casualties brought about by war in various places across the world. Yet in all this, as Christians, we find good news and hope. So I look forward to hearing your latest news.

I have been celebrating Christmas as usual with Tony and Caroline and their family in Derbyshire, including Anna and Carl’s 2-and-a-half year old daughter, Louisa Isobel, and their 3 months' old new baby, Toby James.

I’m thankful to have had a second whole year free of cellulitis, but I have not enjoyed quite such good health as last year, though nothing in particular to complain about (I have two months’ iron tablets just now for anaemia). This is probably because I’ve had to work really hard all the year, with little let-up. We continued studying the Disciple 4 course until July and 2009 has been the Centenary year for our church, Caversham Heights Methodist Church. There has been a very full programme of events and special guest preachers throughout the whole year. Since I am the Media Publicity Director, it has meant a lot of work for me – advertising each event or preacher beforehand in the three local papers and two local radio stations, and writing about them afterwards (with photos) for the same papers.

As well as the Centenary, I have had several really good celebrations elsewhere. At Easter, I returned to Llandudno for the second ECG Event (‘Equipping, Calling, Going’) which took the place of the former Easter People and, although run by different people – ‘NXT Ministries’, ‘Youth for Christ’, and ECG – was very similar, especially in regard to the in-depth Bible Studies so popular at ‘Easter People’. A main emphasis at ECG is in catering for the 20s and 30s age group and the provision of events and activities specially geared to their needs and aspirations. This year I looked after the MET (Methodist
Evangelicals Together) stand in the exhibition, and I am eagerly looking forward to doing the same, again in Llandudno, when ECG 2010 will be held on 6th to 11th April with Steve Brady as the Theatre Bible Teacher – see www.ecgevent.org.uk.


As last year there was a family gathering at Bethany School in Kent for my great
granddaughter Louisa’s second birthday on 10th May, which was much enjoyed by all of us. At two, she was able to entertain us with all her newly acquired skills.

I took turns in leading the experimental Wednesday afternoon midday services during
May at our church, but not too many people came, so we decided to re-think this later.

My cousin Jack Baul died in May and, since he never married and had no family except
cousins, we had to arrange the funeral at Ripon Methodist Church by email and I found it necessary to print the orders of service myself. John David gave a warm eulogy to his uncle, and it was good to meet so many of my nephews and nieces whom, because of distance, I had not seen for years. They also had not met each other for years. One nephew, Nigel, was unable to be there because his IT business had expanded so much that he was in the middle of moving it to larger premises. So those who were there decided that it was time to have a big family get-together and they joked that it would have to be in Pontefract to make sure that Nigel could come.

I went to the Methodist Conference in Wolverhampton in July where I was thrilled to be present at the ordination of our Deacon, Becky Bawden, and I was also glad to be able to step in once more to run the MET (Methodist Evangelicals Together) stand in the Exhibition, which gave me a unique opportunity to meet old friends from far and wide as well as listening in to the debates when not busy.

This year Churches Together in Caversham decided to carry out Street Evangelism in Caversham at the time of the Reading Pop Festival sited nearby, with a Welcome Café in the New Testament Church of God opposite the shopping precinct, and a number of us worked on a rota basis to hand out Bible reading booklets. After several interesting conversations with lovely young people from far and wide, I was startled to find that the greatest need was right on my doorstep! The CTC had been taken down but I was still sitting outside the Black Church (the NT Church of God) when a neighbour saw me and, thinking I must be ill, came to see if she could help! We offered her a cup of tea and explained why we were there. At first, she argued against what we were doing but she continued to ask questions, breaking down after a while and then being very reluctant to end the conversation! The NT Church of God were holding a regional convention that weekend, with their Bishop and 3 speakers from America. So it was a shock to me when I was pressed into addressing (by interview) their Sunday afternoon session about serving God in your 80s! Quite scary, but they begged me to ‘Come again!’

Finally, the year ended with the death and December funeral of my sister-in-law, Alice Mary Morgan, who will be much missed because she was never happier than when helping others and writing letters of encouragement.

I have continued to proofread translations of Scripture in strange languages for Wycliffe Associates and I have just returned Mark Chs. 4 – 6 in Zapotec Miahuatlan (a Mexican Language). I am still a representative to the Circuit Meeting, I prepare Prayer Guidelines each month and, as I have already said, I am Media Publicity Director at my church.

Tony and Caroline continue with their very full programme of teaching and concerts, etc. Caroline teaches reed instruments at the South-East Derbyshire Music Centre at Heanor, is a peripatetic teacher in local private schools and arranges concerts for ‘Music in Duffield’ Tony’s own professional chamber orchestra, English Pro Musica (based in Nottingham) is still in great demand. The orchestra sometimes works with his choir, the Ryton Chorale (based in Bassetlaw), which is very well established. Tony continues teaching Music at Nottingham University and High School and the Leicestershire Youth Orchestra, as well as running a thriving business selling instrument cases worldwide – see www.bassbags.co.uk .

David, their eldest son, has been completely transformed by the miracle ‘cure’ for his illness. He has regained his former energy, as he works for Bassbags, and even has a steady girl friend. Richard is now at Cambridge, training to teach science. Anna and her husband Carl moved in the summer to become house parents at a much larger school – Old Swinford Hospital School in Stourbridge. They are thrilled with their little daughter Louisa and new baby Toby. Youngest of the family, Emily is still working for the accountancy firm KPMG in London, and has now moved in with her boy friend. So this Grandma is eagerly wondering if there are likely to be any more weddings before long. (I must stop counting chickens …)

Sheila is in good health and spirits in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where she is head of a University English Department. The apprentice hairdressing project (Vuon Len) set up there in her father’s memory continues to give new hope to ever more apprentices - see www.vuonlen.org.uk.

I continue to blog on www.octomusings.blogspot.com and to enjoy the rich blessings of being part of the Methoblogosphere, though the frost was too severe for me to go to the recent DigiMission day conference in London.

2010, should prove to be an easier year for me, without the Disciple Course and all the centenary events, but I have already booked for the MET weekend conference in January in Torquay (which gives me the chance to visit Dermot and Charlene), the ECG Event in Llandudno at Easter and I hope to be able to help with the MET stand at the Methodist Conference in Portsmouth in June. Also, after the sadness of funerals this year, I am looking forward to the wedding in Pontefract on February 5th of my
nephew, John David, to Annaliese, another member of the West Riding Police Force, especially as this will unite two families who have both suffered bereavement in recent years. So there will be a happy family gathering in Pontefract after all.


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Methodists take a lead in discovering the nation’s Biblical literacy

A Methodist supported biblical literacy study has made headlines around the world.
The National Biblical Literacy Study 2009, which found that knowledge of the Bible is declining with fewer than one in 20 people able to name all the 10 commandments, received two-thirds of its £22,000 funding from the Connexional Team and Methodist related trusts CTVC, the Gibbs family Trust and the Rank Trust.

Seven of the nine churches used as locations for interviewing more than 900 people from faith and non-faith backgrounds were Methodist Churches in Newcastle, Mumbles, Redditch (joint Methodist/URC) Lewisham, Hornchurch, Poole and Sutton.

The project was initiated by Revd Brian D Brown, a Methodist minister and Fellow in Media and Communication at St John’s College, Durham University, and Revd Jonathan Kerry, also a Methodist minister and Director of the Guy Chester Centre in Muswell Hill, London.

Brian worked with Revd Dr David Wilkinson, Methodist Principal of St John’s College, to establish the Centre for Biblical Literacy at St John’s College, Durham University in September 2006 with the help of a grant from the Rank Trust.

Brian said: “The study happened to hit at the right time and we are extremely pleased that there has been so much interest in it. The Church needs this information and needs it now. The Methodist Church saw what we were doing as important.

“I am particularly grateful for the support we have received from the people in the Connexion. Everyone has been very supportive at the grassroots level.”

The project’s research team also included Brian’s son Dr Paul Brown, lecturer and researcher in mathematics at Birkbeck College London.

Jonathan said: “The results confirmed our impression that there is a small residual awareness of the Bible among people in Britain, but the level of real knowledge is quite low.”

The survey brought to light the fact that 33 per cent of the under-45s interviewed could not name anything about the Feeding of the 5,000 compared to 12 per cent of over-45s.

More positive findings showed that 75 per cent of the interviewees owned a bible and significantly high numbers of them knew central facts about the crucifixion and resurrection stories which are at the heart of the Christian faith.

Methodist minister Revd Dr Peter Phillips has now taken on the baton from Rev Brian Brown and heads up the Centre for Biblical Literacy at St John’s College, Durham University, which is part of a larger research institute, Communication in the Digital Environment (CODEC). The Centre will use the data for further research over the next four years.

At the Methodist Conference, Peter seconded a successful notice of motion calling Methodists to make 2011 a year of the Bible. The motion proposed by Rev Ashley Cooper of Swan Bank Methodist Church called for a celebration and promotion of the Bible’s impact on British culture alongside the Evangelical Alliance's BibleFresh initiative.

Source: Methodist News Service 17/07/09


, Further to my post 'Only ten per cent of Britons know the Bible', I am very glad to be able to enlarge on this story that has evolved from Methodist research I feel I must also link it with what the President-Designate the Revd Alison Tomlin said about the Year of the Bible in my post 'Methodist Church elects President-Designate and Vice-President-Designate'
. There are exciting times ahead for the people called Methodists.

City Bed and Breakfast

Now that I’ve caught up on much of the backlog of work that piled up while I was away for 10 days, I can write about my experiences at Conference and elsewhere.

When Conference last met at Wolverhampton, I was a District delegate and our District delegation were lodged right out at Edgbaston, which meant a great deal of travelling to and fro. So, this time, as I’d been asked to look after the MET (Methodist Evangelicals Together) stand in the Exhibition area, I determined that I would find somewhere much nearer to stay. However, there are not many B & Bs in Wolverhampton itself, so I didn’t have much choice. I ended up by booking with the Wheatsheaf Inn, even though I knew it was next door to a Night Club and the landlady said that they no longer do breakfasts! She added that she thought either she or her sister could bring me some cereal and toast to my room. It was just the right walking distance from the Civic Hall where the Conference was held, so I decided to risk it.

When my taxi drew up at its door, I really wondered if I’d been very foolish but I went past the small, dark, noisy bar on the right and found a warm welcome from the landlady. She was joined in my room, up two flights of stairs, by her sister, and the two of them made a great fuss of me. It was very funny watching the two of them falling over each other, both trying to make me a cup of coffee and I couldn’t help myself saying, ‘Are you sure you aren’t going to drink it for me as well?’ They said that they had lost their own mother and so they wanted to look after me. What more could I want?

But I soon found that living in a city centre has its drawbacks! Opposite my bedroom window was a bus lane and a bus stop, so the buses came incessantly from early morning to late at night an usually with four buses nose to tail. And what noisy buses they were! Here in Reading our buses are run on bio-ethanol and are quieter than the cars! Outside my Wolverhampton B & B there was a constant loud Psss! Grrr! Psss! Grrr! Psss! Grrr! Psss! Grrr! And the street cleaning vehicle at a very early hour was even worse! On the other side of the street, under my bedroom window, there was a black taxi rank! Well-chosen accommodation indeed!

However, it was just the right walking distance for me, through the shopping centre which was kept very clean and made a pleasant walk, so I decided to give it a try. The first night was the hottest night of the year and I slept little and heard the noisy nightclub revellers, but I certainly rested. I gathered that nobody slept well on that hot first night and some who were lodged at the Premier Inn, also next toa Night club, changed hotels the next day! However, on the second day, I returned at about 6.30pm and lay on my bed, fully clothed to watch the tennis on TV. By the TV programmes, I judged that I went to sleep at about 9pm and wakened up at 11.55pm, when I undressed and slept again until 7am. I never heard the Nightclub at all, nor on subsequent nights – only the buses! And the two ladies fussed over my every need, including getting the car out one morning to save me walking in the rain. So I was well satisfied!

MRDF goes bananas at Methodist Conference!

The newly inducted president and vice-president of Conference cut a giant banana cake to mark the official launch of Methodist Relief and Development Fund's new harvest resource, Enriching Harvest, at Methodist Conference in Wolverhampton.

The banana theme reflects the work that MRDF is doing in India, which is the focus of this year’s harvest pack. With MRDF support, Dalit communities are transforming once barren land into fruitful fields. Gangi (pictured) used to look at his land in dismay – now he sees a small but profitable banana plantation. He says, "We are getting livelihoods from this land and food for our families. For this we are thankful to you."

Source: Methodist News Service

Church calls on all to repent of climate change sin

There has been some controversy in some circles about the use of the word sin in this context, but I think that this is a timely reminder that God, our Creator, charged the human race with taking care of His creation for Him, and failure to do so is surely 'sin'. This year's Methodist Conference has certainly been tackling many down-to-earth (if you'll excuse the pun) issues this year and we can be proud of its leadership in this and on other current issues:-

"Church to reduce carbon emissions by 80%

The Methodist Church is urging Christians to repent of the sins that contribute to climate change. A report received by the annual Methodist Conference in Wolverhampton today encourages people to acknowledge their complicity in systems that exploit creation and prey on the powerless.

But the Church also wants to empower Christians to make positive lifestyle changes, in line with the report’s title, Hope in God’s Future.

Revd David Gamble, the President of the Conference, said, “The first step in making a difference is the recognition of what we’ve done wrong so far. But we can’t just stop there. We must not be beholden to economic growth at the expense of our world and the lives of those who are most vulnerable.

“In the face of climate change, do we give up and treat it as a lost cause? No. We are people of faith. We can turn the tide if we commit ourselves to acting together to make our planet a safer space. So the report challenges the Church to tackle the issue head on, committing itself to significant action over the coming years.”

The report outlines plans to reduce the Church’s carbon emissions by 80% by the year 2050, in line with the target set by the UK Government. The Government is criticised in the report for its failure to outline how these tough targets can be achieved.

“But we are also challenging ourselves,” added David. “We cannot expect the Government to take the issue seriously if we fail to do so ourselves, and this report outlines some big changes for the Church.”

Bishop Michael Baroi of the Church of Bangladesh urged the British Church to prioritise this work. He said, "By 2050, two thirds of my country will go under water and about 30 million people will be displaced and have no place of their own to live on this planet Earth, if we do not deal with this issue of global warming and climate change urgently and seriously".

Source: Methodist News Service 07/07/09

Methodist Church will bar members from joining BNP

The annual Conference of the Methodist Church, meeting in Wolverhampton, has agreed that no member of the Church can also be a member of a political party whose constitution, aims or objectives promote racism.

This specifically includes, but is not solely limited to, the British National Party (BNP).

The resolution was brought from the floor of the Conference, known within Methodist circles as a Notice of Motion.

Revd Sylvester Deigh, who proposed the Notice of Motion, said; “We must be clear that racism is a denial of the gospel. An openness to all people, regardless of nationality, is at the heart of Methodist identity.

“This does not mean that people will be excluded from attending church – God welcomes all, saints and sinners alike. But it does mean that members of racist political parties will not be able to become full members of the Church.”

The notice of motion reminds the Church that those who support racist parties are also God’s children, and in need of love hope and redemption.

People who speak on behalf of the Methodist Church will also be barred from membership of such parties. The Church will now undertake the legal work required to put this into practice and report back to the Methodist Conference in July 2010.

Souce: Methodist News Service 09/07/09

Methodist Conference comes to Wolverhampton

The Methodist Conference will meet in Wolverhampton this July. The Conference is the governing body of the Methodist Church and is also a festival of celebration, worship and friendship.

More than 300 representatives from across British Methodism will gather at the Civic Hall from July 2 to 9, as well as hundreds of visitors. New Methodist ministers will be ordained in a two-part ceremony and then at services across the Midlands.

The Conference will also celebrate new President, the Revd David Gamble, and Vice-President, Dr Richard Vautrey, at the start of their year in office. The ceremonial swearing-in of President and Vice-President will open the main Conference on the afternoon of July 4.

Debates on climate change, young people and leadership and ethical investment are on the Conference agenda.

The Methodist Media Service will run a full press office for the duration of Conference. Journalists wishing to attend for some or all of Conference should contact Anna Drew or Karen Burke.

There will be two ISDN-equipped radio studios for broadcast interviews throughout the week. Audio from the Conference sessions will be streamed live in partnership with Premier Media Group (www.premier.org.uk) and will later be available on the Methodist Web Radio page (http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.webradio). A twitter feed and a daily blog update will also be available.



There is great excitement here in Caversham because our Deacon, Becky Bawden, is one of the 64 Ministers to be ordained at this year's Methodist Conference.

Christmas Greetings

As I am about to go away for Christmas, I want to take the opportunity to send my Christmas letter to my many blogging friends who will not have had it by post. God has been good to me this year and I hope that 2009 will be an equally good adventure with Him, both for me and for you.

"Christmas greetings from Caversham. I hope that you and your family are well and looking forward to Christmas and the New Year 2009. I think you’ll agree that 2008 has been a very mixed year, both with the weather and the economy, but I hope that overall it has been a good year for you and that you will manage to escape the worst terrors of the credit crunch in 2009. It looks like being a difficult year ahead for most people but there are many more across the world whose situation is far worse than ours and we remember them as we approach Christmas once more.

I expect to be celebrating Christmas with Tony and Caroline and their family in
Derbyshire. I have enjoyed really good health this year as a result of being asked to take part in a research project to see if taking penicillin VK tablets twice a day for a year would prevent the recurrence of cellulitis. It looks as though I was taking these (and not the placebo) because I’m thankful to have had a whole year free of cellulitis.

I began the year by attending the first ever Methodist Bloggers’ Meeting on 4th and
5th January at the Community for Reconciliation Centre, Barnes Close, near Birmingham,where a small group of us discussed good blogging practice and ways to improve this method of communication. Since I was in that part of the country, I went on to Widnes to spend a couple of days with the widow of one of our former Ministers and we really enjoyed catching up on all our news.

After our annual ecumenical Good Friday March of Witness here, I went north again,
this time to steward for a new venture called the ECG Event (‘A Heart for the Nations’) which was held at Easter (25th-30th March) in Llandudno. This took the place of the former Easter People and, although run by different people – ‘NXT Ministries’, Hope ’08, ‘Youth for Christ’, and ECG – was very similar, especially in regard to the in-depth Bible Studies so popular at ‘Easter People’. A main emphasis at ECG is in catering for the 20s and 30s age group and the provision of events and activities specially geared to their needs and aspirations. For me, ECG was one of the highlights of 2008 and I am eagerly looking forward to the 2009 ECG Event which will also be in Llandudno, on 14th to 19th April 2009 – see www.ecgevent.org.uk.

Another highlight this year was a family gathering at Bethany School in Kent for my great granddaughter Louisa’s first birthday on 10th May, which was much enjoyed by all of us.

Then I went to High Wycombe for the annual Wycliffe Associates Conference on 16th to
18th May where, as always, I was amazed at the amount of work that has been, and
continues to be, undertaken in support of missionaries working overseas. Of the speakers at the Conference, I was most impressed by Heather Patrick who has been doing translation work for Wycliffe Bible Translators in Papua New Guinea.

I went to the Methodist Conference in Scarborough in July where I was glad to be able
to step in to run the MET (Methodist Evangelicals Together) stand in the Exhibition,
which gave me a unique opportunity to meet old friends from far and wide as well as
listening in to the debates when not busy. As well as finding people I knew who were
manning other stands, I found myself opposite a stand run by two people who had been
teachers in the school across the road from me some years ago! It’s a small world!

I spent a week with Tony and family in Derbyshire, when we visited National Trust
Houses and then early September found me travelling north again – this time to Newcastle for the wedding of my great-niece, Nicola, to Neal, a direct descendant of John Wesley! I was met at the station by my nephew, Michael, who also lives in Newcastle, and I was delighted that he first took me along the waterfront to show me the bridges and the buildings on the Gateshead side of the Tyne in which he had been involved in the planning, before he took me home for a meal.

Despite the rain, the wedding was a very exciting occasion – both the ceremony in their local church and the reception in the magnificent Longhurst Hall in Morpeth,
Northumberland. Nicola and Neal are a lovely couple and I found myself thoroughly
enjoying the company of their many friends, who were all calling me ‘Auntie Olive!’
After staying the night at the Hall, we returned to Newcastle for an ‘Open house’ at the bride and groom’s very interesting house, which has only one room on each floor!. My only regret was that I was not able to see more of Nicola’s parents, who were kept busy seeing to the rest of their guests.

From there, my nephew Michael and I did something we have been talking about for ages
and we headed out towards Stanhope and the North Pennines’ National Park, despite the
rain that was so heavy that we were obliged to travel very slowly along the flooded
roads. Then we spent three wonderful days in Upper Teesdale, visiting familiar places from our youth, exploring places we’d only heard of previously and researching our family history. We made two visits each to the two Methodist Chapels that I remembered with such affection from the days of my youth when we had a family concert party and gave concerts there. The former Bowlees Primitive Methodist Chapel is now the Bowlees Tourist Centre, popular because of its proximity to the High Force waterfall and Gibson’s Cave, and the Newbiggin-in-Teesdale Methodist Chapel is very proud to be the oldest Methodist Chapel still in regular use in the world and jealously guards the pulpit from which John Wesley preached. Seeing a sign to Ettersgill, we followed the sign to see where my school friend, Lilian, had hailed from, but no-one remembered her – not surprising since she must have left the area in the early 1940s and then spent many years in Ghana. We visited the site of the Lady Rake Lead Mine where my father had driven an ancient vehicle in his youth – there is a photograph of him in the Beamish Museum – and,
when we went to the farmhouse where my grandfather had farmed, the current farmers
there came out to talk to us about the difficulties of farming today. A memorable trip!

I had two day trips to London (at the end of September and in early October) for a
Christian Bloggers’ Day and for the launch of the 2009 Pentecost Festival.

In September we began the 34-week Disciple 4 course, with participants from 3 Circuits. We are working hard, with quite a lot of homework, but there is such a lot of laughter in the group. The course is called ‘Under the Tree of Life’ and includes the study of the Writings, John and Revelation. I believe we are the only group in the country who have progressed through the other Disciple courses to the Disciple 4 course.

I am a representative on the Churches Together project to carry out Street Evangelism in Caversham, with a Welcome Café in the New Testament Church of God opposite the shopping precinct, but it is proving hard to recruit volunteers at present.

I have continued to proofread translations of Scripture in strange languages for Wycliffe Associates and now I have 1 John and Jude in Achi de Cubulco (a Guatemalan Language) awaiting me when I have finished writing this. I am still a representative to the Circuit Meeting, I prepare Prayer Guidelines each month and I am Media Publicity Director with a lot of work awaiting me in 2009 because of the very full programme of preachers and events arranged for our Centenary Year – see http://cavhmc.org.uk .

I continue to blog on www.octomusings.blogspot.com and I was recently interviewed by
email for an article on ‘post retirement use of the Internet’, which appeared on the front page of the US Methodist Reporter – more because of my age than its content, I guess!

Wishing you a Happy Christmas and every blessing in the New Year."

P.S. Have you read my post entitled 'Letter to a Friend'? Please don't miss it!


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What should the President and Vice-President do?

A working party is examining and reporting to Methodist Conference on all aspects of the roles of President and Vice-President and how they work together and relate to the senior leadership of the Church.

People are invited to make their comments and submissions. These include:

how the roles of President and Vice-President might be developed;
how they might work more closely with the General Secretary of the Church/Secretary of the Conference to present a shared vision and to energise the Church;
the length of office of each;
the title of Vice-President.
You can also use the opportunity to respond to the idea of a small connexional leadership group which accounts to and serves the Methodist Council and Conference.

5 January 2009 is the deadline for your comments.

For more information go to
www.methodist.org.uk/downloads/conf07_20_SeniorLeadershipintheMethodistchurch

Source: Methodise Enews December 2008

Methodist Church invited to ‘Sing a New Song’

The Methodist Music Resources Group is asking people to offer their opinions on a new collection of hymns and songs in their ‘Sing a New Song’ consultation.

The aim is to produce a music resource that retains the best of the old and includes the best of the new, reflecting a diversity of theological and musical traditions. The new compilation contains 294 hymns from the 1983 collection Hymns and Psalms, and draws on the best new material that has emerged since Hymns and Psalms was originally compiled.

The Revd Barbara Bircumshaw, Chair of the Music Resources Group, said; “Worshipping God in music and song is in the very soul of Methodism. This consultation offers people the chance to engage with the draft collection and let us know their thoughts before the final list is submitted to the 2009 Conference for approval.”

The draft collection contains over 700 hymns and songs, including international and previously unpublished material. It is arranged by subject, covering themes such as the love of God, suffering, justice and peace. At this stage the list is incomplete and there will be additions and doubtless deletions.

The consultation will run from 1 December 2008 through to the 31 January 2009. The full list of hymns, together with an online response form, is available at www.methodist.org.uk/newhymnbook. The list will also appear in The Methodist Recorder on Thursday.


Source: Methodist News Service 01/12/2008

METHODISTS CONSIDER HANDOVER OF ‘BEST KEPT SECRET’

BRITISH Methodism’s last re­maining higher education institute, Southlands College, is in talks to hand over responsibility for management of the college to its parent body, Roehampton University.

Southlands is one of four constituent colleges of Roehampton University, along with Digby Stuart (Roman Catholic), Whitelands (Anglican) and the Froebel Institute (Humanist). They amalgamated in 1975 to form the Roehampton Institute, which gained university status in 2004, now based in south-west London.

In a bid to centralise its services, the university has asked Southlands, Whitelands and Digby Stuart colleges for a long-term lease of their properties. The university already holds a 999-year lease on Froebel College, while Digby Stuart was due to enter into a formal 125-year lease this week.

If agreed, the university would take full responsibility for ongoing “maintenance and development” of Southlands, paying staff costs and managing areas such as accommodation, catering and conferences. Some of Southlands’ services are already being subcontracted to a centralised university authority from this summer.

The proposals have been in the pipeline for some time. However, the Methodist Council and the Conference are required to give approval to any changes agreed.

Senior Methodist leader Revd Lord Griffiths has requested prayer over discussions to hand over the denomination’s sole remaining higher education college. Southlands College is described by Lord Griffiths as one of Methodism’s ‘best-kept secrets’. The college has 1,500 students, houses a Methodist research centre and most of its governors are currently appointed by the Methodist Council. The chair of governors, Revd John Pritchard, told the Methodist Recorder, they are consulting with ‘eminent Methodists’ over handing management of the college to the university. This would centralise services and reduce costs in the face of rising financial demands. Consultations are said to have produced a ‘mixed’ response. Lord Griffiths, a former chair of governors, said they need God’s help in knowing ‘How do we keep the Methodist interest alive?’

Source: Methodist Recorder (31/7)
http://www.methodistrecorder.co.uk/mrhlines.htm

My blocked Inbox

Since my return from Conference in Scarborough, I've been unable to access any of my incoming mail, despite all my efforts to rectify this, so if any of you reading this have sent me an e-mail message please understand that I am unable to reply until I can read your message! It is very frustrating and my attempts to solve the problem are taking up all my spare time at present - just when I was hoping to report my experiences at the Wycliffe Associates Annual Conference and the Methodist Conference. This week should have been a week of ample free time to catch up on things and search out old photos and newspaper cuttings to give to the archivist who is writing a book of the history of our church for our Centenary next year. I'm tearing my hair!

Methodist Conference 2008 Roundup

NEWS RELEASE
10 July, 2008

Methodist Conference 2008 Roundup

The Methodist Conference met from 5-10 July in Scarborough. Revd Stephen Poxon was inducted at President of the Conference, and Mr. David Walton as Vice President. Conference also ordained 55 new Methodist ministers (50 Presbyters and five Deacons).

Conference addressed a number of contemporary issues, including knife crime, Burma, Zimbabwe, stem cell research and abortion.

Time was spent looking at the Youth Participation Strategy (YPS), a major new initiative aimed at increasing the involvement of people aged 16-23 in the running of the Church both nationally and locally. The YPS will see an investment of more than £4 million over the next five years. The Youth Conference also brought its concerns, including knife crime, Burma and the pressures on young people combining church activities with further education or work.

Conference also committed the Church to fresh ways of expressing its mission. The successful Fresh Expressions scheme, a joint venture with the Church of England, has been renewed by both churches for a further five years. The Methodist Conference also gave its support to a new Pioneer Ministries scheme, in which the Church will invest over £4 million to establish new congregations across the country, aimed especially at young adults and those who have had no prior contact with any form of church.

Conference received a major report on early human life, looking at issues such as stem cell research, fertility treatments and abortion. The report offers guidance on how to approach these complex and often highly personal topics. It also recognises that attempts to respond to particular medical developments can easily be quickly out of date as the technology moves on. Conference has commended for study the report which says that embryos should not be created solely for the purpose of research, but that it is acceptable for embryos created during fertility treatments to be used for research. The Conference also voted to review the Church’s current stance on abortion.

Conference affirmed the Covenant with the Church of England, signed in 2003, and supported the creation of a new body to continue the work of implementing it. This new body will for the first time include representation from the Church in Wales and the Scottish Episcopal Church, in recognition that the Methodist Church serves all of Great Britain. The United Reformed Church will also be invited to continue to participate. Conference offered prayer and support to the Church of England’s General Synod (meeting almost simultaneously in York) as it addressed major issues.

For the first time, live video of Conference proceedings was broadcast via the Conference website, and a video archive is also available. Live audio was also broadcast in partnership with Premier Christian Radio. Conference also elected its President and Vice-President for 2009-10. The Revd David Gamble were designated to serve as President and Dr Richard Vautrey as Vice President at next year’s Conference.

ENDS

Notes
For more information about the Methodist Conference visit www.methodistconference.org.uk.
For information about the Church’s current stance on abortion visit http://methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentoworld.content&cmid=1857.

Plight of the Burmese People and Investigating Causes of Knife Crime

NEWS RELEASE
10 July, 2008

Methodist Conference backs Youth Conference resolutions

Knife crime, Burma and the pressures on young people on the agenda
Conference also to discuss wide-ranging Youth Participation Strategy

The Methodist Conference, meeting in Scarborough, has endorsed a number of resolutions brought by the Youth Conference. Amongst other things, these call on the Church to campaign to highlight the plight of the Burmese people, and to investigate how local churches can address the issues that lead to violence among young people, including knife crime.

Other Youth Conference resolutions passed by the main Conference called for more Bibles to be available to give away to new Christians, and to recognise the pressures on young people undertaking local preacher training, especially when combined with other educational commitments.

Four Youth Conference representatives are in Scarborough as full voting members of the Methodist Conference, which is just one part of the Church’s ongoing and increasing commitment to involving young people at the very heart of decision-making. Another expression of this is the Youth Participation Strategy that Conference was agreed on Wednesday. This will be a multi-year investment in involving a network of young people in many aspects of Church life.

Sarah Tomes, a Youth Conference representative at Scarborough, said “these are things that are very important to us, and it means a lot to have Conference’s support. Some people say that young people are the future of the Church, but we are part of it and have lot to offer right now.”

ENDS

1) The full texts of the Youth Conference report and the Youth Participation Strategy report are available here: http://www.methodistconference.org.uk/confreports.htm

2) The Youth Conference met in Cardiff Bay on 16-18 November 2007 under the theme of “Let My People Go!”

Church to Make Major Investment in Youth Engagement

NEWS RELEASE
9 July, 2008

Church to make major investment in youth engagement

The Methodist Conference has agreed to invest more than £4 million in a major initiative to develop and enhance the participation of young people in the life of the Church.

The Church’s Youth Participation Strategy is a five-year initiative involving a specialist team of youth workers and young people employed to address how the Church engages with youth culture on local and national levels. Each Methodist district will receive a grant for the part-time employment of a young person aged 16-23. For most of their time these Youth Enablers will work within their district, but a proportion of their time will be used for national initiatives. Each year every district will take on a new ‘Mission Possible’ project proposed by young people and designed to put the Gospel into action in local communities.

Mike Seaton, Under 19’s Team Leader for the Church, says; ‘Young people need to be empowered to live as Christians, to witness to their peers and to participate as equals in the Church. Participation is all about involvement – it can be anything from providing opinions to setting agendas and decision making. In adopting this report, the Church is making a huge investment for future engagement with young people and youth culture. This decision demonstrates that the Church is serious about bringing youth participation into the heart of the life of the Church.’

District Youth Enablers will be supported by Connexional Participation Workers and seven full-time Regional Participation Workers (five in England and one each in Scotland and Wales).

Conference received the report and endorsed its recommendations. The pilot project will begin in September with an ongoing programme of monitoring and evaluation with a full report in 2011.

Methodist Conference: President Designate and Vice-President Designate

NEWS RELEASE
9 July, 2008

Methodist Conference elects new President and Vice President Designate

The Revd David Gamble has been elected President Designate of the Methodist Conference for 2009-2010, and Dr Richard Vautrey has been elected Vice President Designate.

David is currently Coordinating Secretary for Legal and Constitutional Practice handling issues ranging from discipline to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. He served as a minister in two North Yorkshire Circuits, Tadcaster and York (South), before becoming Children’s Secretary for the Division of Education and Youth and then General Secretary for the Division. He has also been the Church’s Secretary for Pastoral Care and Personal Relationships addressing family concerns such as divorce and domestic violence.

David’s vision is of a church that is outward looking, engaged in wider society, willing to challenge injustice wherever it occurs, passionately committed to those who are or feel excluded. David says; ‘I feel honoured to be elected for this role and hope to help the Church to answer the questions the people are asking about issues that matter to them in all areas of life. The Church has to respond to peoples' needs and concerns if we are ever to speak truth in a mixed-up world’.

Richard Vautrey is a GP in Leeds and the Deputy Chair of the British Medical Association’s GP committee with extensive media experience. He is a medical advisor for the Connexional Team and has served as a mission partner in Nigeria. He believes that there is a need for the church to get better at communicating the gospel message in ways that all can understand.

Richard says; ‘It is a great privilege to be elected by the Conference to serve the Church in this way. I believe the Church has a key role in publicly challenging matters of injustice and inequality, as well as leading the debate on modern ethical questions. I am also passionate about the vital role that volunteers and lay people play in the Church and as Vice President I will be seeking to address how we can better empower and equip lay people for leadership roles in the Church’

David and Richard will be inducted as President and Vice President as the first items of business at the 2009 Methodist Conference, which will meet in Wolverhampton from July 2-9.

ENDS

Notes

For more information about the Methodist Conference visit www.methodistconference.org.uk.

Methodist Conference Votes to Review Position on Aborton

NEWS RELEASE
9 July, 2008

Methodist Conference votes to review position on abortion

A major report on abortion, assisted reproductive technologies and stem cell research has been received by the Methodist Conference. The report, Created in God’s Image, also discusses embryo screening and egg and sperm donation. The report was jointly produced by the Methodist Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the United Reformed Church.

Created in God’s Image looks at the ethical and theological issues raised by these technologies, and aims to give church members a useful framework for discussing them, and other breakthroughs yet to come.

Conference also voted that the Methodist Council should form a group to revise its position on abortion, which was last reviewed in 1976. Since then, medical advances have changed the ethical landscape, especially the discussion of the 24-week limit for abortions.

Anthea Cox, Methodist Coordinating Secretary for Public Life and Social Justice, says “these are all difficult and confusing areas for ordinary people, yet also potentially exciting for those who might benefit from them. This report helps us to discuss and understand them better. Many people hold deeply held views on early human life, and we need to ensure that we do not compromise our core values in pursuit of medical developments. Modern medical technologies promise great things, and we need to make sure that we as Christians are able to have fully informed discussions on the ethical dimensions of these.”

ENDS

Notes:

1) A summary of the current Methodist position on abortion can be found here: http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.content&cmid=1540

Methodist Conference Equalities and Diversity Report

NEWS RELEASE
9 July, 2008

First major equalities and diversity report presented to Methodist Conference

The Methodist Conference has received a major report challenging the Church to eliminate discrimination in an increasingly diverse Christian community.

This report is the result of a project initiated in 2004 by the Conference and carried out by the Equalities and Diversity Project, a representative group including members who have experienced oppression due to race, gender, sexuality and disability. The report shows the journey the Church has taken in considering these issues since 2004 and indicates the direction of future developments.

The report was presented for exploration by the wider Church, offering an opportunity for the Church to engage in its first comprehensive dialogue about the broad agenda of equalities and diversity. It addresses the many different kinds of discrimination faced by groups both with the churches but also in wider society including, sexism, racism, disablism and homophobia. It also outlines some of the stories that people in these situations have shared with the group. The stories will be collected into a series of booklets to accompany a further report in 2009.

Alison Parker, Equalities and Diversity Project Worker for the Methodist Church, says; ‘This is a major step on the road to creating a more inclusive, welcoming and credible Church. The Church as the Body of Christ is an expression of unity in the great variety of God’s creation. This report has offered a challenging and exciting opportunity to hear the voices of the marginalised and those working for change in the Church.’

The report identifies areas for further work on equalities and diversity in the Church including a theological exploration of the issues and the formulation of an equal opportunities policy for adoption by the Church in 2009.

Conference received the report and commended Equally Different?, a new equalities and diversity campaign resource for use in local churches, circuits and districts. This includes worship and Bible study materials for use by individuals and groups, resources for children and young people considering the issues and display materials such as posters and postcards. A supporting website, www.methodistchurch.org.uk/equallydifferent, also offers the chance for people to share their own experiences and ideas.

ENDS

Notes
1. The Equalities and Diversity report is available online at www.methodistconference.org.uk.

2. For more information about Equally Different? visit www.methodistchurch.org.uk/equallydifferent.

Major Report on 5 years of Anglican-Methodist Covenant

NEWS RELEASE
8 July, 2008

Major report on five years of the Anglican-Methodist Covenant

Recommendations include extending Covenant talks to Scotland and Wales.

A major report received today by the Methodist Conference addresses the progress made over the last five years of the Anglican-Methodist Covenant.

The Covenant between the Methodist Church in Great Britain and the Church of England was agreed by both churches in the summer of 2003. It was signed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference and the general secretaries of both churches in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen on 1 November that year.

The quinquennial report of the Joint Implementation Commission (JIC) commends the work done so far by the churches to implement the Covenant, and features a number of ‘cameos’ illustrating how the Covenant is being put into action in a variety of contexts. These include a joint Anglican-Methodist primary school in Kent and volunteers from both churches working together to run a night café and creative arts centre in Manchester.

The Conference commended the report for further study and endorsed the recommendations, which include appointing a successor body to the JIC for a further five-year period. The scope of this body would extend to involve representatives of the Church in Wales and the Scottish Episcopal Church and from the Methodist Church in Scotland and Wales as well as relating more closely to Ireland where there is already a Covenant between the Methodist Church in Ireland and the Church of Ireland.

Professor Peter Howdle, Co-Chair of the Commission and past Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, says; ‘As the Covenant nears its fifth birthday, this report offers a chance to reflect on a major initiative for unity and mission in the history of our Churches. We have heard so many encouraging stories from those living out the Covenant both in church life and in serving their communities. But it is clear that there is still much to learn and much to do in order to make the journey towards fuller visible unity.’

The report recognises that further work is needed for the Covenant to move forward, particularly in encouraging and resourcing local churches. Expert support and advice is being made available to Bishops and District Chairs wishing to encourage deeper engagement with the Covenant in their area and take up the opportunities it gives for unity in common life and mission.

ENDS



Notes
1. The quinquennial report of the Joint Implementation Commission is available from MPH (www.mph.org.uk).

2. For more information about the Covenant, visit http://www.anglican-methodist.org.uk/.

3. The Church of England discussed the report on Monday 7 July at General Synod.